Tennis: STA Open competition-Zenab Kanté succeeds her sister, Horpinitch retains title |12 April 2005

After receiving some tips from Fatim, who is home on holiday but did not play on the advice of her coach at the Haute Ecole Provinciale de Charleroi Université de Travail (Hepcut) in Belgium, Zenab won 2-0 (6-3 6-4) against Marie-May Isnard in the ladies’singles final.

Having lost the 2003 and 2004 finals to Fatim, Zenab, who opted for more double forehand strokes, noted that “Isnard played well and made life difficult for me.”

She also told Sports Nation that “it was good to win and I want to continue dominating the singles in my sister’s absence.”

In the quarterfinal, Zenab beat Sharrifa Joubert 2-0 (6-0 6-1) and then eliminated Linda Samson 2-0 (6-2 6-0) in the semifinal as a record 18 players registered for the women’s singles competition.

Tipped for a quick return as national team coach after his contract was not renewed last year following a two-year term in the job, Horpinitch, who did not drop any game on the way to the final, claimed a second consecutive STA Open men’s singles title with a 2-0 (6-3 6-2) victory over Jamal Nibourette.

“I’m not coaching this year and I guess I’ll participate in all the tournaments to give the country’s top players a bit of practice. This is the least I can do to help them,” Horpintich told Sports Nation.

Horpinitich had beaten both Stephan Ah-Moye and 14-year-old Stephan Romain 2-0 (6-0 6-0) in the quarterfinal and semifinal, while Jamal dispatched Kim Weltner 2-0 (6-1 6-1) in the quarters and last year’s losing finalist Anthony Brioche 2-0 (6-3 6-1) in the semis.

Horpinitch then teamed up with young Romain to win the men’s doubles final on a 2-0 (6-3 6-4) score, but victory did not come after the match had to be stopped to get the lights on centre court to work properly.

The ladies’ doubles was more of a family affair. Betty Rath paired with her aunty Suzanne Delpeche to win 2-1 (6-2 1-6 6-3) against the duo of Clyvie Delpeche (Suzanne’s daughter) and Stephanie Ah-Shung.

Steven Rideau-Mein and Marie-May Isnard joined forces to defeat Darryl Nourrice and Zenab Kanté in the mixed doubles on a 2-0 (6-0 6-3) score.

G. G.